The Energy Revolution has begun and will change your lifestyle

Welcome to the Energy Blog

The Energy Blog is where all topics relating to The Energy Revolution are presented. Increasingly, expensive oil, coal and global warming are causing an energy revolution by requiring fossil fuels to be supplemented by alternative energy sources and by requiring changes in lifestyle. Please contact me with your comments and questions. Further Information about me can be found HERE.

Statistics

September 13, 2005

Hybrid Bus Sales Booming

High gas prices are affecting buses too, and Hawaii is taking note. Hawaii has the highest energy prices in the US and hybrids provide great efficiency as well as reducing pollution. Last year they purchased ten General Motors hybrid diesel electric buses, now they're planning to bring dozens more of them to Honolulu. The buses are getting even better mileage than they anticipated.

The buses have a 75-passenger capacity, offer 90 percent cleaner emissions than conventional diesel buses and can accelerate 50 percent faster. The buses, at $749,000 each, are about $150,000 more than regular buses, but the fuel savings justify the cost.

Hawaii is not the first place to use hybrid buses. New York City Transit, starting their program in 2000, currently has 180 hybrid diesel electric buses in operation and will have 325 buses on the street by the end of 2005. The hybrids are the Orion VII (Orion Bus Industries of Mississauga, Ontario) diesel hybrid electric buses. The buses feature BAE SYSTEMS' HybriDrive™ propulsion system and Cummins' ISB5.9 liter engine. NYCT is purchasing a total of 325 Orion VIIs for delivery in 2004 and 2005.

Hybrids are not the only way NYC is reducing pollution. Since 2000 all of the NYC buses have run on low sulfur fuel to reduce emissions. More than 2550 diesel engines have been equipped with particulate filters which reduce particulate emissions by as much as 95%. NYC Transit currently operates more than 400 CNG buses and will have 481 in service by the end of 2005.